Dr. Christopher Zenk

Project Manager, Fusion Technologies @ Bayern Innovativ | Energy Innovation | Connecting Industry, Research & Policy

Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany

About

Materials Scientist and Metallurgist with a broad perspective and a passion for new materials and processes. Focused on experimental combinatorial alloy development of high-performance alloys and intermetallic phases through additive manufacturing. Has the honor of leading a team of outstanding PhD students who drive the development of potential future key materials. Enjoys scratching his head over processing-microstructure as well as microstructure-mechanical-property-relationships before sitting down at an electron microscope and establishing the mechanical-property-defect-structure-relationship. Enjoys frequent trips in reciprocal space as much as spatial trips in real space.

Experience

  • Project Manager Fusion Technology at Bayern Innovativ GmbH
    Mar 2026 - Present · 4 mos

    Project Manager for Fusion Technologies at Bayern Innovativ, working at the interface of industry, research, and government to accelerate the development and industrialization of fusion energy. Responsibilities include organizing targeted workshops and networking activities, identifying relevant partners and funding opportunities, and supporting companies—especially SMEs—in engaging with fusion-related value chains. A key focus lies on materials challenges, including high-performance alloys and components for extreme environments.

  • Group Leader 'High Performance Alloys' at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
    Jan 2020 - Apr 2026 · 6 yrs 4 mos

  • Alexander-von-Humboldt Research Fellow at Fakultät für Maschinenbau - Ruhr-Universität Bochum
    Aug 2019 - Dec 2019 · 5 mos

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Materials Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University
    Aug 2017 - Jul 2019 · 2 yrs

  • Research Associate at Department Werkstoffwissenschaften der Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
    Feb 2012 - Jun 2017 · 5 yrs 5 mos